Seaside Heights woman faces murder charges in connection with gruesome double murder in rocked Ocean County

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In a chilling case out of Ocean County, New Jersey, Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights, now faces a number of charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder and desecration of human remains in connection with the death of 56-year-old year-old Kerry Rollason. This tragic and complex case has evolved significantly, with new revelations linking Mascarelli and three other defendants to Rollason’s murder and the disturbing cover-up that followed

It all started in July when police officers located Maxwell Johnston, a fugitive with alleged ties to another murder, at a home in Toms River.

Johnston killed a woman days earlier and left her body on the side of the road at a busy intersection in Manchester Township. Police tracked him and his accomplices to a home near Toms River High School East.

After a lengthy standoff that ended with Johnston’s suicide, investigators discovered weapons, a hatchet and evidence at the residence that pointed to a second possible crime. Shortly afterward, authorities found black bags containing Rollason’s dismembered body parts at a property in Jackson Township, as well as other evidence pointing to a brutal murder.

During the standoff, Mascarelli posed with Maxwell and glorified and romanticized her murders.

Prosecutors now allege that Mascarelli not only assisted Johnston but was also the prime suspect in Rollason’s murder. She reportedly conspired with Johnston to kill Rollason using multiple guns and a hatchet. Investigators concluded that Rollason’s death was related to gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma.

Three other people, Danielle Bolstad, Jared Krysiak and Jared Palumbo, are also implicated. They are accused of hindering apprehension and desecrating human remains for helping to dispose of Rollason’s body. Mascarelli, meanwhile, remains incarcerated in the Ocean County Jail on a variety of charges. Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said the investigation initially suggested Johnston was the killer but has since uncovered Mascarelli’s deeper involvement in the crime.